FE 35
Sir, 6:30 PM So! You guys were on the Dragon Isles, on the estate of one Iskandar, a member of the ruling council. You helped defend him against a Wizard and an army of ninja robots. Sir, 6:31 PM Vashti showed up with the news that Canto had found out that someone had put a hit out on Iskandar, with the payment of three wishes on confirmation of death. Ander: "We should probably go talk to Iskander. Learn about this evil dragon dude and the assassins and...yeah." Kite: More information could prove helpful. Ander: "Yeah. I mean, we're eating dinner with this Galis dude. We should probably know what we're getting involved in." Ander: "Like, should I be prepared to punch a dragon, or a magic dragon, or a magic dragon, and also his army of robot ninjas." Kite: Punching may not be required. Daneel: Don't tell Ander that she will get all mopey Ander: "I do not get mopey." Sir, 6:39 PM You're out on the grounds of the estate now, and Isk's staff is getting things under control. And yes, you have an invitation from Galis for tomorrow. Vash-Ti: Punching may not be required, but it very well may be warranted. Ander: "I mean, even if it's not necessary...I might still wanna do it. Like...what if he's a giant dick? I'm just supposed to not punch him?" Kite: Yes. Kite: You are supposed to not punch him. Sir, 6:41 PM Dela: You could challenge him. Ander: "Isn't that a whole thing? Like...it doesn't sound like you challenge them and then punch for a while. That's like a death match, right?" Sir, 6:43 PM Dela: I mean, yeah, generally it means they fight back, yes. Sir, 6:43 PM Dela: That's how diplomacy works back home, though. It makes things a lot easier to handle if the guy being a dick knows he can get challenged at any time. Ander: "Oh, I'm fine with fighting back. I am just not sure I can handle a death match with a full-on dragon right now." Sir, 6:44 PM Dela: Not with that attitude. Ander: "...I'm not sure if you're crazy awesome, or just plain crazy, but I kinda like it." Kite: I would prefer us to not be incinerated. Daneel: Maybe it wont be a fire breathing dragon, then we wont be Ander: "...Kite, I promise not to punch the dragon until you say it's ok." Kite visibly relaxes a little bit. Ander: "...I will also try not to yell at him, but I make no promises." Ander: "...so...let's go say hi to the dragon we're cool with so far." Kite nods. Ander heads towards the manor. Daneel follows Kite follows Ander. Vash-Ti shuffles along with the group. Sir, 6:52 PM So you head back toward the main house, and you run into Ven on the way. "Hey, you guys." Kite waves. Ander: "Hi. Sorry about your guards. Everything seem ninja robot free?" Sir, 6:55 PM Ven: We lost a few guys. Healers are moving through and doing what they can. Any of the robos that were left behind seem to have just kinda shut down and fall over once the honcho skipped out. Ander: "...good. That's good. ...how's your boss? The one who's totally not a pirate." Sir, 6:56 PM Ven: He's fine. On the horn with the rest of the council now. Kite: The horn? Ander: "Think she means he's talking to them." Kite: Ah, I see. Kite: … as we previously discussed, I do not feel anyone offering 3 wishes as a prize is likely to be reliable. Daneel: Anyone who puts it on others to do a hit isn’t reliable. Sir, 7:02 PM Ven: What's this now? Ander: "We got word from our contact back home. He says that the robots were sent to assassinate Iskander. And the payment for the hit was three wishes." Ander: "So...watch out for that, I guess." Sir, 7:05 PM Ven: Was it just to this one? Or just kinda… out there now? Ander: "...I think just out there. Like, a first come first serve type deal." Kite: Yes. So there will likely be many more attempts. Ander: "We also think we know who maybe is behind it...which we wanna talk to your boss about." Kite: Most likely he has already guessed. Sir, 7:08 PM Ven: Me too. Gonna have to up security quite a bit. And put some people on the trail of this contract. Ander: "We can probably help with that." Ander: "If it is who we all think it is...we kind of have dinner plans with them tomorrow night." Ander: "So...good opportunity to search his home for clues." Sir, 7:10 PM So you find your way to a kitchen. Standard humanoid sized, and you see half-elf form Iskandar in there, mixing stuff up in a bowl. Ander: "...you do the cooking yourself? You don't have people to do that for you?" Kite: Is it a hobby? Sir, 7:13 PM Iskandar: It helps me think. Iskandar: The council said they'd 'look into it', but most of them are so old and have weathered so many assassination attempts its old hat to them. I don't know how much they'll do beyond a show, as long as I don't die. IF I die, they'll start taking it seriously. Ander: "What did Galis say?" Kite: That would seem to be somewhat too late. Sir, 7:16 PM Iskandar: Nothing yet. Haven't talked to him. I thought it might be him, but it's pretty obvious, isn't it? Especially with all the scrutiny with his unregistered hoard transporting. Ander: "I viewed it more as being the right level of obvious. Like, just the perfect amount." Ander: "But we are meeting with Galis tomorrow. He wants to "thank" us for bringing his treasure back." Kite: … is that a euphemism? Ander: "...I don't know. But I am betting there's gonna be more to it than just that." Ander: "...or maybe I just hope. Then it'll be a brawl, instead of a dinner. I am way better at those." Vash-Ti: We're a rogue element. Perhaps he intends to get a handle on us, somehow. Kite: Most likely direct us against his enemies. Vash-Ti: That is also a possibility. Sir, 7:24 PM Isk: Even if he's not behind the price on my head, there's a good chance he knows who set it. Ander: "Which is why our real mission there will be to investigate the house." Kite: Right. Kite: ((Do we know where we're staying here? I forgot.)) Ander: ((I thought Isk's house? But I don't think it was ever settled.)) Ander: "We were hoping, I think, that you might know some more about Gatis. What powers he has, where to look in his house, etc?" Kite: Weak points. Allergies. Kite: ((I mean if we could take him out with a peanut it would save a lot of fuss.)) Sir, 7:31 PM Galis. And yeah, Isk was going to provide arrangements for lodging. Iskandar: How many people did we lose, Ven? Ven: Toby, Creek, and Beauty. I sent 'em with the Clerics. Ander: "Beauty?" Ven: It's ironical. She's only pretty hot. Kite: I'm very sorry for your loss. I hope it will not prove permanent. Sir, 7:40 PM Iskandar: Mmmm. Gonna find that wizard and probably murder her, but the attacks are going to keep coming until the bounty is dealt with. Kite: Yes. Kite: Perhaps it would help if we stayed nearby. Ander: "Wait, we're bodyguards now?" Kite: Less bodyguards, more... potential distractions. Sir, 7:42 PM Iskandar: Nah. I was going to put you up anyway. If you're too worried to stay on my estate, I can put you up in one of my inns. Kite: The estate would be very agreeable. Ander: "I have no problems sleeping in a mansion with a dragon." Ander: ".................................NOT LIKE...nevermind. The estate is cool." Kite: Yes. Ander: "One last question. So...we think this dinner thing is pretty formal, and most of us were...not prepared for formal, in terms of clothes. What are the odds you have some fancy duds for anyone in our group?" Iskandar: Pretty good. Ven, take care of that. Ven: You want me to play dress up while I secure your estate against potential assassins? Iskandar: … yeah. Ander snorts Ven: Razzafrazz. All right, come on, you lot, I'll get you set up. Kite nods. Ander bows to Isk in respect Iskandar: BAnana bread will be ready in an hour. Ander: "...this is not how I expected meeting a noble to go." Kite: I like banana bread. Ander will follow Ven. Kite does too. Ander: "...between him and Carrick, lords are a lot more chill than I was expecting." Ander: "...I mean, Carrick wasn't chill at first, but once he got over being kidnapped, he's been cool." Kite: I do not think he has gotten over it. Ander: "Well, better about it, then." Ander: "...so, Ven...how long have you been Isk's right hand man?" Ven: Oh, I dunno. Years, now. Ander: "Right...cool." Kite: He seems agreeable. Ven: He ain't bad. Needs a kick in the ass sometimes. Ander: "For a rich dragon dude who was previously a pirate, he seems pretty laid back to me." Ander: "...hey, so...the halfling clothes we're gonna look at. They're like...actually for halflings, right? I'm not gonna show up in some child's get-up?" Ven: Nah, we got halfling stuff, gnome stuff, goliath stuff. All kinds of stuff. Ander: "Cool. Also, thanks for helping us." Kite: I suppose dragons are shapechangers. Ven: Well, they do have a lot of fancy events and sometimes he needs to have his people dress up okay. Ander: "...like...all his people?" Ander: "...how big a wardrobe does this guy have? ...he's a dragon, how often does he even wear clothes?" Ven: A lot of it is gifts. Some of it is stuff from his... you know. lady type friends. Ander: "..........ok, before, the fact that we kept meeting people this cooler than us was cool, but I am now just embarrassed. We need to like...do more." Kite: Do more? Ander: "I'll be honest, I'm kind of nervous, so I'm just talking." Ven: Why you nervous? You want clothes or rooms first? Vash-Ti: Indeed. It's important to think about what needs to be done now before we can start planning grand adventures to distant realms and whatnot. Kite: Rooms. Vashti: Rooms, then finery. Perhaps a nicer bag because by no means am I leaving my book behind, dragon or no dragon. Ander: "Rooms works for me." Sir, 8:13 PM She takes you to a wing of the house that seems to be mostly humanoid sized. She opens the door, and blinks. "Well, this'll be Kite's room." Ander: "Hey, you get a window. That's cool." Kite shoos her cat inside. Sir, 8:15 PM You can see that this is Kite's room because there's a half dissassembled robo-ninja on the floor and Murr has made himself a nest of blankets and pillows on the huge bed. Kite: Good cat. Good. Ven: That's a really cool cat. Ander: "Yeah...you will be finding cat hair in here long after we leave. ...just warning you." Kite: Yes. Also, he tends to get places he is not supposed to be. Kite: However, he is very affectionate and sweet. And loyal. Kite: … and fond of bacon. Ander: "...are there any pets on the estate we should watch for?" Ven: Hrm. There used to be a Bulette, but I'm not sure what happened to him. Ander: "...what's a bulette?" Ven: Land shark. Kind of cute. Sir, 8:21 PM She gets you all settled into rooms right next to each other. Very large, nice beds, great views of the grounds. Kite tries to clean up the robot ninja. Ander will leave her bag in her room. She nods approvingly. Ander: "...can I ask you a personal question, um...is just Ven ok or is there some...Kite, what's that word for thing you put in front of a person's name? To be respectful and crap?" Ven: Ven is fine. Ander: "Ven, cool. ...what's up with the eyepatch?" Ven: What eyepatch? Sir, 8:27 PM Ven leads you further down the hall! Kite: Honorific? Ander: "That was the word, yes." Ander will keep following Ven and not ask anymore about the eyepatch (I am assuming there is an eyepatch, and I am not just misremembering?)) Kite, 8:30 PM ((There was for previous versions of Ven!)) Sir, 8:33 PM ((Nope, white eyepatch.)) Ander will still take the hint and not pursue that any further. Sir, 8:34 PM So ven takes you to another room,t his one seems to be dominated by wardrobes. Ven: So... yeah. Lotsa clothes in here. Ven: Go nuts. Ander will look around and see what there is to find. Sir, 8:35 PM Lots of clothes. Depends on what you're going for. Kite starts looking too, with sort of a grim determination. Sir, 8:36 PM Basically, you can dress however you want to dress, but I have to know how you end up dressed, formal-wise. Ander does not know what she's doing. Kite ends up with something black that covers absolutely everything but is also clingy, but not tight. Ander disappears into a closet for a bit Kite: I am sure a suit would be acceptable. Vashti will try to find something understated. With pockets, if possible. Likely in indigo. Kite: I have been told not to wear black as it makes me look severe. However, severity seems indicated in this case. Daneel will wait by the doorway “I should be ok” Sir, 8:44 PM How is Daneel dressed? Daneel: (( probably just his normal beat up suit and hat which don’t match in any way.)) Ander will come out wearing a plain blue skirt suit. "Ok, I know, but all the pants felt weird and tight and clingy. If I'm already gonna be uncomfortable...at least I won't be as uncomfortable...I think." Ander holds up a tie. "Also, I couldn't figure out what to do with this belt." Ander: "Or maybe it's a sash?" Kite: It is a tie. Sir, 8:46 PM Ven looks at Daneel. "Just goin' like that? Good on ya. That makes a statement." Ander: "...fucking seriously, Daneel?" Vashti: Well, looks like I don't have to worry about standing out. Daneel: I am not changing my style for this guy.... actually Daneel will look for a straw hat real quickly in the closets. Sir, 8:48 PM You find about 29. Ander: "...you know what? Screw it then." Daneel will grab one and put his new hat in his bag. Kite: … I like black. Ander will go back in and re-emerge wearing a sort of kimono-type thing with a simple undershirt. Still fancy, though. Daneel comes out looking pretty much like he did before he burned his old hat. Daneel: Much better now Ander: "There. I don't show up in smelly robes, and I feel like me." Ander: "...and Daneel will look like a dandy hobo, so what else is new?" Daneel: A well dressed hobo , is still well dressed. Kite: That looks nice. Ander: "Thanks. You too." Ven: Right, right, you all look great. You guys got the run of the house, I gotta go follow up some leads, right? I'll see you. Kite: Right. Be careful. Ander: "Thanks for the help." Ven leaves you to your own devices. Anything you wanted to do? Kite wants to talk to anybody she can find about Isk's affairs. Sir, 8:56 PM Affairs? Kite, 8:57 PM ((Politics, mainly. Friends/enemies/etc.)) Ander, 8:57 PM ((Oh, I thought you meant his "lady friends")) Kite, 8:58 PM ((Only those that would be included in friends!)) Sir, 9:01 PM Just by asking the staff as they bustle around, you can find out that Isk's greatest rival on the council is named Truvrak. He was very against Isk's appointment and is very.... rigid. He and Isk butt heads a lot. He is largely in charge of the Dragon Isles standing army -- most of the military is paid from his hoard. Ander will try and get a sense of how big and strong a guard this is. Compared to, say, the level we see in the city every day. Sir, 9:04 PM What guard? Isk's house guard, you mean? Ander, 9:04 PM ((Yes)) Sir, 9:04 PM Hmm. Give me an Insight roll. Kite also asks about customs and that kind of thing. Ander, 9:05 PM ((11)) Sir, 9:07 PM Isk's staff seems pretty on top of things. They're very... individiualistic? But seem used to working together. Ander, 9:09 PM ((I've got nothing else, really.)) Sir, 9:14 PM Anything anyone else had for that night? Kite, 9:14 PM ((Nope!)) Ander, 9:15 PM ((I really can't think of anything.)) Ander, 9:15 PM ((I assume we have banana bread for dinner.)) Sir, 9:16 PM ((lots of it.)) The next day rolls around. Roll dodge. Ander, 9:16 PM ((Dex check?)) Sir, 9:16 PM No, I was just being funny. Ander, 9:16 PM ((Oh, ok.)) Sir, 9:17 PM THe dinner is in the afternoon, and you have the morning/early day in which to do things, if there was anything you wanted to do or investigate. Kite, 9:18 PM Kite will dissect a robot ninja and see if there's any information as to its potential origin! Using any of Isk's staff that would know things about such things. And party members. Ander, 9:19 PM Ander will ask Daneel if he wants to go out and talk to people about Isk, Gitas, or this Truvrak to try and get a feel for the town's vibe. Sir, 9:20 PM Hmmm. Gimme an investigation roll, Kite, with Advantage. Kite, 9:21 PM ((16!)) Sir, 9:25 PM So this definitely isn't a Mek or something, it's a fairly basic construct, seemingly mass-produced. At least the parts are. Sir, 9:26 PM There's no marks that indicate where they might have been built, though. They don't seem capable of thought or reason, and in fact it seems like they were all receiving their instructions from some remote location. Ander, 9:30 PM ((Do we all hear about this, or only Kite knows this?)) Sir, 9:31 PM Depends on if you stick around, this is what she gleans over the early day alongside a minotaur artificer that works for Isk. Ander, 9:32 PM ((Well, I already said I went investigating, so...I guess I'll do that, instead.)) Kite, 9:33 PM Kite does actually share this with the others. Kite, 9:33 PM ((So you wouldn't have to.)) Sir, 9:33 PM I mean, I figured you'd share it later on when you met up again. Does Ander go investigating on her own? Ander, 9:34 PM ((Since I think Caleb stepped away, I'll say he doesn't bother. He (Ander) is not great at questioning people.)) Ander, 9:35 PM Ander will instead find Murr in his bed and throw him back into Kite's room. Ander, 9:35 PM "An entire mansion to explore and he still picks my bed." Kite, 9:36 PM He likes you. Kite, 9:36 PM … alternately, you smell like bacon. Ander, 9:36 PM "It's entirely possible. What you working on there?" Kite, 9:37 PM I was attempting to find out more about our robotic assailants. Kite, 9:37 PM Kite tells Ander what she's been able to find out. Ander, 9:37 PM "...this other location, can you figure out where that is?" Kite, 9:38 PM That is an excellent question. Ander, 9:39 PM "If we can find that, maybe whoever controlled this left a crime scene to find." Daneel, 9:40 PM Most likely whoever it is cleaned up after themselves. Daneel, 9:41 PM You expect a level of professionalism from hired killers. Kite, 9:41 PM That would make things significantly simpler. Ander, 9:42 PM It does imply that this wizard wasn't working alone, at least. Daneel, 9:43 PM True, or the wizard happened to attack at the same time as the robot ninjas Daneel, 9:44 PM And they were unrelated Ander, 9:44 PM "That seems really unlikely." Kite, 9:44 PM That seems unlikely indeed. Daneel, 9:45 PM Not if they were watching from a distance and waiting for a moment to attack. Kite, 9:46 PM Possible. Ander, 9:47 PM "Still seems more like a partner job to me." Ander, 9:48 PM "I have to imagine folks like wizards would partner up in this kind of work. Wizards usually need someone to defend them, from what I understand." Kite, 9:48 PM That very often works both ways. Ander, 9:49 PM Ander nods Ander, 9:54 PM "...I should go train, probably. I haven't been keeping up with the instructions Anya left me." Kite, 9:54 PM What instructions? Ander, 9:54 PM "Anya left me a workout routine to follow, since I can't go to spar with her every day. It's...kind of intense." Ander, 9:55 PM "If you guys want to spar with me, that might help." Kite, 9:55 PM I am up for it. Ander, 9:55 PM "I try and go toe to toe with Kite while Daneel lobs lightning at my head, or something." Daneel, 9:56 PM Sure. Ander, 9:57 PM "...I wonder if this place has...like...a gym or something." Ander, 9:57 PM "...I haven't actually looked around much." Kite, 9:57 PM I have not either. Daneel, 9:58 PM I am sure they have some kind of room , or we could just use the yard. Ander, 9:58 PM "Yard works. Oh, they had the rock garden, that'd be good." Ander, 9:59 PM "...by the way, Daneel, I think this new hat's better than your last straw hat. It's actually hat shaped and everything." Kite, 9:59 PM The ribbon is cleaner. Daneel, 10:00 PM ... hats have a hard life around me for some reason. Ander, 10:00 PM "...how many have you gone through?" Daneel, 10:03 PM Let’s see, with this last one now, not counting backup hats probably 13. Ander, 10:03 PM ".........how?" Ander, 10:03 PM "What do you do? Fuel bonfires with them?" Ander, 10:05 PM "...clothes are weird." Daneel, 10:05 PM Look a straw hat makes a semi decent shield, or it’s good for a dummy body in a pinch. Ander, 10:05 PM "A straw hat is maybe the worst thing you could use for a shield." Ander, 10:05 PM "There are pieces of parchment more fitting to be used as shields." Daneel, 10:06 PM Beggars can’t be choosers Daneel, 10:07 PM And actually they are pretty good campfire starters if you don’t have any other wood Ander, 10:07 PM "I'll keep that in mind." Ander, 10:08 PM "We don't really do hats where I'm from, let alone straw ones." Daneel, 10:09 PM No they have... what did you call it , goat ball? Ander, 10:10 PM "Yeah. We still need a couple more people to have a proper game. ...I wonder if Dela'd be into it. She seems to like contact sports." Kite, 10:12 PM … is that a euphemism? Ander, 10:15 PM "...........no...I mean she looks like someone who would enjoy playing violent games." Ander, 10:17 PM "...you think maybe she'd be into me, though? Like...she's kinda cool, maybe there's...I dunno. Maybe right?" Kite, 10:17 PM That is entirely possible. Kite, 10:17 PM You do have some things in common. Daneel, 10:17 PM Maybe, you would probably end up in at least a couple death duels. Ander, 10:18 PM "...that is entirely possible. ...I think she'd bring me back, though. Like...I think so." Kite, 10:19 PM Likely. … I am involved in a duel, do not forget. Daneel, 10:20 PM This is true, well I at least have no intention of getting involved in a duel. Kite, 10:20 PM I did not either. Ander, 10:21 PM "...can I take your duel, maybe? We don't care if we kill the guys you're in a duel with, right?" Daneel, 10:21 PM Are there substitutes allowed in duels? Kite, 10:21 PM I care. Particularly since we do not know who they are. Ander, 10:22 PM "They want to kill you! I feel like...that should make killing them ok, right?" Kite, 10:23 PM They may not want to kill me. I do not know. Daneel, 10:24 PM You don’t challenge someone to a duel for tea and biscuits. Kite, 10:25 PM No. You apparently challenge them to force their lover to date you. Ander, 10:25 PM "Yeah, that's weird. You don't fight someone to date their lover, you fight to date them. They are getting it all wrong." Daneel, 10:26 PM Relationships are weird. Kite, 10:26 PM … there is no reason for anyone to fight anyone. Kite, 10:27 PM We are in an open relationship! All they had to do was ask him. Ander, 10:27 PM "Maybe they don't like sharing." Kite, 10:27 PM What they do not seem to like, is asking what Cedric wants. Ander, 10:28 PM "Maybe you should trade off and they fight Answorn." Ander, 10:29 PM "Then Answorn can kick their ass and assert his...well, not dominance...I dunno, his something." Kite, 10:30 PM It is ridiculous that anyone has to fight anyone. Ander, 10:31 PM "...ok, now you're killing my thing." Ander, 10:32 PM "I mean...fighting is really useful. It gets to the heart of a problem." Kite, 10:32 PM If you enjoy it that is different. Ander, 10:33 PM "It's not just that I enjoy it. I communicate through it. I know people better when doing it, and I think they know me better." Ander, 10:34 PM "You talk through problems, but a lot of times, people can't talk right. But when you fight, it's like...you're passed talking. It's talking without talking. The best kind of talking." Kite, 10:36 PM … I feel it may lack clarity in some cases. Ander, 10:36 PM "Maybe. It's all different out here." Daneel, 10:37 PM Everyone has different ways of dealing with issues talking, fighting, or running. Ander, 10:38 PM "...I'm guessing you like the last one." Daneel, 10:39 PM We all have or own preferences. Why face head on that which you can avoid. Kite, 10:39 PM They should all be used judiciously. Ander, 10:41 PM "...we still gonna spar?" Daneel, 10:43 PM Sure Ander, 10:43 PM "Great. I'm gonna take a short cut." Ander, 10:43 PM Ander runs to the nearest window and jumps out of it. Kite, 10:44 PM … she has very interesting points of view. Daneel, 10:44 PM Indeed Ander, 10:45 PM Ander will use slow fall and come out unharmed. Daneel, 10:45 PM Daneel goes to the window casts spider climb and walks down the outside wall of the building. Ander, 10:46 PM "I have been wanting to try that since I learned it." Ander, 10:46 PM "That's pretty cool too." Ander, 10:46 PM "...Kite! You ok up there?" Kite, 10:47 PM Yes. Kite, 10:47 PM Kite heads out the door.